When Daryl Khan, our New City Metro bureau chief, broke the story “Cops Smash Boy Through Window in the Bronx,” he was fulfilling our mission that demands that we shine a spotlight on the darkest corners of the juvenile justice system.

At the same time, we aim to write stories on how to repair the system via best practices. We do it all via solid reporting by professional journalists such as Khan, backed up by commentary and with links to in-depth research.

Thanks to Khan’s reporting and then to all our socially conscious Facebook and Twitter connected audiences, the world now knows that 14-year-old Javier Payne almost bled to death in handcuffs after being smashed through a plate glass window while being arrested.

However, as solution-oriented journalists, we can’t leave the story there. Now we are doing a deep dive not only into what happened that night, but also to discover what in the system allows such an incident to happen and to be sure that justice is done for Javier and every other kid — and especially every kid of color — here in the Bronx and around the nation.

You can help by continuing to keep the story alive on social media networks as we continue to report on it. Just follow us on Facebook and Twitter where we can alert you and you can alert the world.

You can help us in others ways too. We are blessed that The Tow Foundation, which saw worth in what we do, funded our New York Metro bureau at the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Journalism. That’s where Khan is based. We want to continue to grow on that investment and you can help by hitting the support button here on this page.

We know all know that Javier’s is just one story of many that need to be told in this era when traditional journalism institutions don’t have the resources or at times the inclination to go after the difficult stories or to cover the kids forgotten in the shadows of society. That’s our job — and yours — to ensure that injustices to our youth are amplified to the world. Thanks for joining us on this journey and for all the great work you do each day.

Related Series

Juvenile justice is a complex issue — one that affects communities in different ways. Understanding this, JJIE is working to extend coverage across the country. The New York Metro Bureau and the Los Angeles Bureau are part of this effort. Each contributes in-depth reporting of national interest.
The New York Metro Bureau is housed at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at City University of New York and provides exclusive coverage for the JJIE from all five boroughs, as well as much of Connecticut and New Jersey.
The Los Angeles Bureau was formerly at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Students cover both Los Angeles and much of Southern California.

Filed Under:

Leonard Witt is the executive director of the Center for Sustainable Journalism at Kennesaw State University. He was the original holder of the Robert D. Fowler Distinguished Chair in Communication and was named an Eminent Scholar by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia in 2008. He was a journalist for more than 25 years, including being editor of Sunday Magazine at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, editor of Minnesota Monthly and executive director of the Minnesota Public Radio Civic Journalism Initiative.